Batman Beyond: The More Things Change
by BatWriter
Summary: Ra's Al Ghul hatches a new plot and Terry has a literal blast from the past!
1. Default Chapter

If you enjoy this story please give me feedback. I will only continue to write the story if I see that enough people are enjoying it. The only way for me to tell if people are enjoying it is for them to send me feedback. Please enjoy.  
(This story takes place after the series finale)  
Prologue  
  
He stood in the shadows high above the streets. It was nearly 4:30 in the morning and while most people his age were sleeping soundlessly in their beds, He was on a rooftop scanning the streets below. It was raining out and he could feel it, even under his suit. He was cold and he was slagged. He wished he could be one of those people slumbering in their beds, but sleeping throughout the night was not a luxury he could have in his line of work. He protected the innocent and punished those who would do them harm. He was Vengeance. He was Justice. He was Hope. And he was the very night itself. He was Batman. Or at least the latest incarnation of Gotham's legendary Dark knight. Nowadays though, the people of Gotham called Batman "The Tomorrow Knight". Tomorrow Knight or Dark Knight though, he was still Batman. But he was also Terry McGinnis, High school student. And he had a chemistry midterm in the morning.  
Things had been quiet that night, all to rare for Gotham City. He had been waiting on this particular rooftop for nearly fifteen minutes now. When things were slow, as they were now, Terry's mind drifted to other things. He thought about how his life used to be, and the kind of person he was. Then his thoughts drifted to the series of events that changed his life forever. The night a gang of Jokerz chased him all the way to stately Wayne Manor. How he helped Bruce Wayne into the mansion after Wayne had felt chest pains. And how he stumbled upon the Batcave and learned Bruce Wayne's darkest secret. Bruce had thrown him out then and Terry returned home to the flashing lights of a squadron of police cars. His Father, Warren McGinnis, had been murdered. Then he thought about how he Broke into the Batcave and stole The Batsuit after the only evidence that could incriminate the man who had killed his father was taken from him. He thought about his Battle with Mr. Fixx, the man Derek Powers had ordered to kill his father.   
"Your pretty strong for some clown who thinks he's Batman." Fixx had mused. "I am Batman!" Terry shot back. He smiled slightly at that part of the memory. And he thought about how the morning after the fight, which ended up with Fixx drowning, he awoke to find Bruce Wayne in his house waiting to offer Terry a job.   
"Very good then Mr. McGinnis," Wayne had said. "Welcome to my world." But it wasn't Bruce Wayne's world anymore. Not entirely.   
All of the sudden the voice in Terry's ear snapped him back to the present like a twig reminding him that it wasn't completely his world either.  
"McGinnis", the voice called. "Any luck yet?" Terry of course knew the voice was coming from the two-way radio in his cowl. The voice on the other end of course was Bruce Wayne.   
"You still awake?" Terry chided. "I thought with all this non-action you'd have passed out by now. I know how hard it is for you old folks to stay up so late."   
"Ha, ha McGinnis", Bruce retorted. "Very Funny. But like I've said before…"  
"Who sleeps anymore", Terry had cut him off. Now that the small talk was made, it was time to get down to business.  
"Nothing so far tonight. All's quiet on the western front. Looks like the eastern one too", Terry smiled. "Maybe I could take of work early tonight." Just then terry snapped his head to the right following the sound of an explosion that had just gone off. Bruce had heard the explosion too.  
"So much for taking of work early", the former Dark Knight said. Terry spread his wings and dove off the rooftop in the direction of the blast. It looked like things just got loud.  
CHAPTER ONE  
I  
  
Doctor Alan Evers was locking up his lab after a long and hard days work. He turned around and came face to face with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.   
"Professor Evers?" she asked. She had long flowing black hair, which covered her left eye. She was tall and spoke with a strange exotic accent that he found completely enthralling.   
"That's Doctor Evers." Said the scientist.   
"Forgive me Doctor. My name is Jenna Sonders; I'm a student in your quantum Physics class."   
"What can I do for you Ms. Sonders?" Doctor Evers said wearily. It was getting late and he was tired.   
"I'm sorry to bother you so late Doctor Evers. I was confused about today's lecture and I was hoping you could…explain the important points to me."  
"I'll be reviewing today's lecture in class on Monday."   
"Oh but I was hoping that you could explain it to me now, while were alone."  
"Alone?" He gulped.  
"Yes, you know. Just me…and you." As she said this, she placed her finger on his chin and flashed him a wide smile.   
"Okay", stammered the doctor nervously. He fumbled into his pocket for the keys to his lab and jammed the right one into the lock and opened the door as quickly as he could. The two walked into the lab and the woman closed the door behind her and locked it from the inside.   
"Alright", said the doctor, "I don't need to be home anytime soon, so we have all night long my dear."  
"Oh that wont be necessary at all doctor", she said in her exotic accent as she walked closer to him. "This wont take long at all." Alan Evers gasped in horror because the voice that had said that was no longer the strangely enchanting voice of a young woman. It was now the voice of a man.   
"Not long at all", she continued still speaking with a man's voice as she pulled a gun on him. "If you tell me what I want to know." Doctor Evers backed up against a lab table in horror and secretly activated an alarm hidden under the table.  
II  
  
Terry was on a rooftop once again. This time he was watching the fire fighters finish putting out the last of the fire as the police hauled away the three would be bank robbers that he had just stopped.   
"That's it", Terry said. "I'm calling it quits, I've done my good deed for the day."  
"Sorry McGinnis", Said the voice in his ear. "No going to sleep just yet. A silent alarm just went off at the laboratory of Doctor Alan Evers over at Gotham University."  
"Alan Evers?" Asked Terry.   
"He teaches Quantum Physics at G.U."  
"Why does that name sound familiar?"  
"You've probably heard the name Evers while looking through the files on the Batcomputer. I had a run in with his father Isaac Evers once. He had fallen in with the Joker and I ended up having to save him from Mr. Freeze."  
"Mr. Freeze and the Joker huh. Sounds like a party. Guess its time to go ask him "what's up doc." Back in the Batcave Bruce winced. "Sorry", Said Terry. "Let's just forget I said that." Batman spread his wings and took off toward Gotham University.   
  
"If it's not here then where is it Doctor Evers?!" Shouted the woman with a man's voice.  
"I…wont…tell you", Said the weary doctor. He was now tied to a chair in his own lab and had blood trickling down his face.  
"I won't ask you again Doctor!" The woman with a man's voice grabbed the long jagged piece of glass sticking out of the doctor's leg and started pressing it deeper. He responded by screaming in pain.  
"All right!" Evers couldn't take it any more. "Doctor Ghight…Doctor Felix Ghight. He's my partner. Its at his house."  
"There now Doctor, that didn't take very long at all did it."   
All of the sudden the door to the room burst open. The woman with a man's voice spun around to see Batman standing at the door.  
"Is this a private party or can any long pointy eared super hero join in?" Chided Batman  
"You!", she/he shouted in anger.   
"Talia!" Exclaimed a surprised Batman as Doctor Evers fainted. No he realized. Not Talia he had to remind himself. No matter how much it looked like her, Talia was dead. "Ra's Al Ghul." Terry gritted his teeth and spoke the name with hate.   
"Well if it isn't the Tomorrow Knight. Come to muck everything up have you?", said Ra's.  
"What's a matter Razz, you don't look happy to see me?" Batman started to move closer to The Father in Daughter's clothing. He stopped when Ra's pulled a knife to the throat of the man he assumed was Doctor Evers.   
"So sorry boy, but I can't stick around and chat." Ra's started dragging Doctor Evers' chair to the window, still holding a knife to his throat. "Miles to go before I sleep", Ra's continued. "I have plans to attend to."  
"Well you know what they say Razz," terry started to take small steps toward Doctor Evers and Ra's. "The Best laid plans…"   
"Of mice and men, yes, yes I'm well aware of that. Which is why one should always have a contingency plan." With that Ra's dropped the Knife and threw Doctor Evers, Chair and all, out the window.  
Batman immediately dove out the window, wings spreading wide, and straight down after Doctor Evers.  
"Better luck next time boy!" Terry could hear Ra's calling from back inside the lab. "Don't try to interfere with my plans again boy!" Terry turned his attention away from Ra's and concentrated on catching the doctor. Realizing he wasn't going to make it to the doctor in time, he fired the rockets in his boots and sped up. He easily caught up to Evers, grabbing him and arcing back up seconds before they would have hit the street. Terry flew back into the lab and set Doctor Evers down.   
Looking around the room he could see that Ra's was long gone.   
"Next time Razz, next time." Terry turned back to the Doctor and untied him. Looking at the clock on the wall Terry saw it was almost time for school. He realized he had forgotten about his chem. Midterm. Doctor Evers started to come to and looked up wearily at Batman.   
"Say doc", Terry started. "You don't happen to know anything about chemistry do you?" And at that, Doctor Alan Evers fainted again. Still unconscious, Batman slung the doctor over his shoulder and headed off to the hospital.  
  
III  
  
Bruce Wayne Flew across the roof top and slammed hard into the stairwell door. Bruce grabbed his cane and stood up, eyes locking onto the person who hit him. Bane. Eyes bulging through his mask, Bane charged at Bruce both hands clasped together and swung at his head. Bruce ducked and when he came back up, he slammed his cane upwards into Bane's face. Bane stumbled back several steps. Bruce stepped forward and Bane charged him again. This time, just as Bane reached him, Bruce dropped onto his back and using both feet and his cane he flipped Bane across the roof. Bane landed hard. When he got up he broke off a piece of pipe and started swinging at Bruce. Bruce ducked the first time but on Bane's second swing he grabbed the pipe and elbowed Bane in one swift move. After he stumbled back, Bane charged one last time. Just as Bane was about to connect with his target, Bruce stepped to the side but held the pipe where he had been standing. The pipe slammed into Bane's Midsection and went right through him and stuck out his back. Sparks flew everywhere as the automaton fell to the ground.   
"It isn't as easy", Bruce sighed. "But I still got it."  
The hologram surrounding Bruce faded away and he was alone in the Batcave again. Well not entirely alone. Ace was waiting by the Batcomputer when Bruce walked over and sat down. Just as he did, The Batmobile Sped into the cave and came to a stop.  
It slowly lowered to the floor as the top slid forward and Terry jumped out.   
"What happened with Doctor Evers?" Said Bruce as he swung his chair around in Terry's direction.   
"Right now he's at Gotham General doing some serious recuperating." He pulled off his mask and swiftly walked over to Bruce's side.  
"And what happened that he needs recuperation?" As he asked this, Bruce turned his chair back around to the computer's giant hulking frame.   
"It looked like he was being tortured." Terry bent over and put his hands on the console as Bruce pulled up some information on Doctor Evers.  
"What for? Information? Some secret formula that will destroy mankind?" Bruce looked up at Terry hopefully.  
"I couldn't ask him. He was unconscious the whole time. But the second he wakes up, I'm gonna inquire the hell out of the good doctor."   
"Do we at least know who the attacker was?", Bruce sighed.   
"Boy do we ever." Terry started to walk away and change into his street clothing.  
"Oh?" Bruce turned to Terry and stood up. "Who is it this time? Mad Stan? Spell Binder? Poison Ivy via a D.N.A. microchip implanted on Barbara Gordon?" Bruce smiled faintly.  
Terry finished changing and turned to face Bruce, dropping all humor from voice.  
"Ra's Al Ghul." Terry saw the look of shock on Bruce's face at the mention of The former Batman's not so former nemesis. Bruce sat back down in his chair.   
"Are you sure it was Ra's Al Ghul?" Bruce knew it was highly unlikely but he hoped Terry had made a mistake.   
"How many young beautiful women with the voice of an old psychopathic man could there be?"  
"In Gotham? At least fifteen." Bruce smiled faintly.  
"It was him", Terry said with certainty.  
"So," sighed Bruce. "He did survive the explosion."   
"But how did he escape?" Terry questioned.  
"Ra's always did have a better disappearing act then I ever did." He smiled at Terry. "And I had a disappearing act that would've made David Blaine's head spin." Terry just raised an eyebrow and looked at Bruce with confusion. "He was a magician. Long before your time kid."   
"Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth", Terry muttered. Bruce shot him a look that told Terry he was pushing it.  
"We have to find out what Ra's wanted from Evers," Bruce slammed his fist hard onto the Batcomputer's console. "And if the Doctor gave it to him. Whatever Ra's Al Ghul is up to…it isn't good. Not for anybody." Bruce paused for a moment remembering all the past evil that Ra's had infected over the years. "Go to the hospital and wait for Evers to wake up and…"  
"Sorry, no can do boss man." Terry pointed to his watch. "I've been out all night. I have to be at school in twenty minutes. I'll stop by the hospital after school." With that Terry turned to leave. He stopped short when Bruce slammed his fist on the console.  
"Damn it McGinnis!" Terry turned to see Bruce's angry face. "This is more important than school!"  
"I know it's important." Bruce's icy gaze cut through Terry's like a buzz saw. "Relax a little will ya Bruce. Doctor Evers isn't going anywhere for a while. Me," he said as he started up the steps. "I have a test." When he reached the door to the study in the mansion, Terry turned back to Bruce.  
"Hey you're a detective, you've analyzed a lot of stuff over the years. Tell me," Terry asked as Bruce raised an eyebrow. "What can you tell me about chemistry in ten minutes?" 


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO  
I  
  
Terry was looking back and forth from his test to the clock realizing that he had little time left. He pushed the clock out of his mind as he read the next question.  
"How many Covalent bonds are-. What the hell is a covalent bond?" The bell rung and Terry swore under his breath.  
"All right people," Called the voice of Terry's chem. Teacher from the front of the class. "Times up." And with that Terry's computer shut off. Everybody got up and started to leave. Everyone except for Terry. He just sat there and stared at the blank screen.  
"That bad huh?" Terry turned his head causally to see his friend Max standing next to him.   
"That bad", Terry repeated.   
"Don't sweat it McGinnis. You'll do better next test." Terry got up and the two friends started leaving class. When they got out into the hallway Terry continued the conversation.  
"You say that every time I fail a test."   
"Yeah I do. And that's the third time I've said that this week." She smiled. "So…anything interesting happen last night?"  
"Nothing you need to know about Max."   
"Oh come on Ter," She pressed on, "Tell me."   
Terry was way to tired to put up a fight. Looking at the clock on the wall above his locker he saw that he hadn't slept in over seventeen hours. And even then he hadn't gotten much sleep.   
"Fine", Terry said in defeat. After making sure that no one was close enough to hear them, the two leaned in close as Terry started to whisper.  
"Last night I found Doctor Alan Evers tied to a chair in his lab"  
"Who did the tying?" Terry paused a moment before he answered the question.  
"Ra's Al Ghul." He watched as Max's eyes went wide.   
"You mean the immortal guy always bent on world domination?" she asked.  
"Yep. That's the one."  
"Wait. Didn't you say he died?"  
"The man's like a certain mascot bunny, Max. You can shove him off a cliff, drown him at sea or blow him up and he just keeps going and going."  
"Well what was he doing…" Before Max could finish her question, Terry's phone went off. He reached inside his jacket, flipped open the phone and answered.  
"Talk to me." The voice on the other end skipped any greetings and sped into the conversation.   
"I think I've figured out what Ra's Al Ghul is doing here in Gotham but I still don't know why he went after Doctor Evers like that."  
"Who is this?", Terry asked wryly. "Dana?"  
"Damn it McGinnis, this isn't the time for jokes."  
"Sorry. So what's up with Razz Al Fool?"  
"One week ago there was a break in at the Gotham Museum. The guard who was knocked out by the thief described his assailant as a beautiful young girl who he could swear sounded like a man."  
"That sounds like our she-man", Terry mused. "So what did she… he…it take?"  
"The Gem of Lycanara. Its one of three Gems in a set. The Gem of Garara was stolen from a museum in L.A. The description of the thief fits Talia's."  
"Sounds like old Razz almost has a complete set." Terry could tell by Bruce's voice that he was worried. "But why is he after them?" Bruce went on.  
"Legend says that the possessor of all three gems will gain the power equal to that of a god." Terry thought about just what would happen if Ra's got his hands on that kind of power, and he shuddered. There was silence for almost a minute before Terry spoke.  
"Then we can't let him get his hands on the third gem. Where is it?"  
"That's the thing", said Bruce. I have it."  
"You do?!" Terry was completely shocked.   
"Or at least I used to. I used to keep it in a safe in my office at Wayne Enterprises. It was even stolen a few times. But I always got it back. Until it was destroyed in an earthquake years ago."  
"So the other two are worthless then."  
"Which is what's puzzling me about all this. I can't figure out… hold on a second."  
Bruce's voice disappeared for a little over a minute before it returned.  
"I just picked up something from a police scanner. It seems that Doctor Felix Ghight was abducted from his home. The neighbor who called it in said the kidnapper was a woman."  
"Could be Ra's, but how can we be sure?"  
"Doctor Ghight is Alan Evers' partner."  
Terry listened carefully as Bruce gave him Ghight's address. He hung up the phone and turned to Max, who he had forgotten about.   
"Sorry max, Duty calls. Cover for me in history." Without waiting for a response, Terry took off down the hall.   
  
II  
  
Barbara Gordon was not happy. Not only had this mysterious woman managed to kidnap Doctor Ghight in broad daylight, but no one had gotten a very good look at her. Things like this made her job as police commissioner very difficult.   
She was standing in Doctor Ghight's living room finishing up interviewing the last witness. Chairs were turned over, books were on the floor and the safe behind a painting of a sailboat was lying open over the fireplace. She dismissed the final witness and turned around to face Jordan and Murphy.   
Jordan was pretty new to the force and didn't have very much experience. But Murphy on the other hand. Detective Carl Murphy had been on the job for almost eighteen years now. Barbara had offered him a number of promotions over the years, but Murphy always turned them down.   
"I like being a detective", Murphy always said when she'd ask him why he turned her down. And she kind of liked that about him.  
"So," the commissioner started. "What are you doing here?"  
"Who me?" Asked a confused Murphy.  
"Not you, him." As Murphy turned around to where she had pointed he saw that there was no one there. Then he gasped in alarm as a figure in black with long pointy ears slowly faded into place.   
"I think you know the answer to that commissioner", Murphy heard The Batman say.  
"Murphy, Jordan, Why don't you two try interviewing the witnesses again."   
"Sure thing, what ever you say commissioner" sighed a tired Murphy as he and Jordan walked out of the room.   
"What can you tell me about the abduction?" asked Batman now that they were alone.  
"Not much," She sighed. "Witnesses all say the abductor was a good looking woman in her twenties, with jet black hair and wearing all black. Not much more on the description. Something was definitely taken from the safe, but we don't know what. We dusted for prints and got nothing. Now, what do you know?"  
"Who took him." Barbara looked up at him in shock. She had obviously not expected him to know who she was. "Ra's Al Ghul."  
"Ra's Al Ghul!" she repeated in even more shock as she turned away. "Bruce mentioned his "change of clothes". But why kidnap Ghight?"  
"Last night his partner Doctor Alan Evers was tortured by old Razz."  
"Damn it!" Barbara swore. "I never made the connection between Ghight and Evers. Thanks kid, I guess you came in handy after all." But when she turned back to where he had been, Batman was gone. The window across the room was now open, curtains flapping in the breeze.   
  
  
Doctor Felix Ghight was scared out of his mind. He was hand cuffed to a fence on the wall of some old were house. His kidnapper was in the center with the device she or he (he couldn't really figure out which) had taken from his safe. Felix nearly jumped as his jacket pocket started vibrating. He realized that he had completely forgotten about his cell phone. At that moment he felt like a complete fool for not thinking about it earlier. As quickly as he could he pulled out the phone and dialed. When a voice on the other end answered, Felix cut them off before they could finish saying "Gotham Police Department".  
"This is Doctor Felix Ghight, I've been kidnapped by some Reject from the old Jerry Springer show. I'm in some were house and-" All of the sudden the phone exploded into tiny pieces. His captor had just blown it to bits with some kind of laser weapon.  
"That was very stupid Doctor", called the man who looked like a woman.   
"Why are you doing this?" the doctor asked. "The T.T.R.D. is useless to you. In order to do what it's designed for, it needs an awesome amount of power. There isn't a big enough source of power in existence to power it. That's its defect. It's the reason my partner and I haven't gone public with it. It can't be powered."  
"That doctor is what this is for." With that she plugged a new part into the T.T.R.D. that had two small gems attached to it. "Now," continued his captor, "You just tell me how to activate it."  
  
"I may have found Ra's." came Bruce's voice from the monitor.   
"Already?" Terry asked with surprise. He was in the Batmobile flying high above the streets on his way back to the Batcave.   
"Doctor Ghight managed to make a short phone call to the police. It wasn't long enough for them to get a trace." Bruce smiled. "But I did", he said with pride. "I'll transmit the location of the were house into the Batmobile's auto pilot system.   
With that, the Batmobile turned around and sped off down town.  
III  
  
Ra's Al Ghul had just finished setting the coordinates on the device known simply as the T.T.R.D. He smiled. Everything was going perfectly to plan except for one minor interference by Terry McGinnis. Ra's would never accept Terry as Batman. Batman was a worthy opponent. Batman's intelligence matched his own. Batman was strong, wise, inventive, quick thinking and a good fighter. Batman was the only person Ra's Al Ghul had ever considered to be his equal. Terry McGinnis was not his equal by far. Terry McGinnis was just "a boy".  
"It's time." A thin smile spread across Ra's face when he said that.  
"The only thing it's time for is for you to go to jail and become some nice man's girlfriend Razz." Ra's snapped his neck upward to see the mock Batman perched atop the railing on an old catwalk at the top of the were house. "Actually, that's not as much of an insult for you, huh Razz?"  
"Valiant effort to stop me boy, but your far to late. With this," Terry saw Ra's point a small device, with the two stolen gems on it, at the middle of the room. "I take my first step to becoming a god."  
Ra's pressed a button on the device and the gems started to glow. Two streams of green and red energy (to match the colors of the gems Terry guessed) shot out and slowly a strange vortex started to open. It looked almost like a large gray whirlpool on its side. When it reached it's full size, of what Terry estimated to be about 7 by 7 feet, Ra's laughed and stepped through the vortex.  
"Farewell boy!" Terry heard Ra's calling from inside the vortex. With that, Batman somersaulted off the railing, opened his wings and headed straight for the large swirling hole. Bruce, who had been watching this the whole time via the vid-link in terry's hood, yelled after him.  
"McGinnis, no! Don't go in there, you don't know whats on the other side!"  
But it was too late. Terry had just flown into the vortex, and it shut behind him.  
Doctor Ghight looked around the now empty and quiet room. He sighed.   
"Mother was right," he said. "I should have moved to Florida."  
  
The screen on the Batcomputer's monitor went blank, and the audio cut out.  
"Terry!" Bruce called. "Terry!" There was no response from the other end. All Bruce could hear was a bunch of static that matched the snow on the monitor. Bruce swung his chair around and rested his chin on his hands atop his cane, as he realized what had just happened. Terry was gone. 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE  
I  
  
Terry was in Heaven. He was wrapped in the loving arms of his girlfriend Dana. She gazed into his eyes and he gazed back into hers. Their lips met and hands began to roam. Their embrace broke and Terry held out his arms and held Dana's hands. He smiled. She smiled back.  
"There's something I need to tell you Terry", she said. "Something that I haven't told you about myself." She brought her hand up and pulled at the back of her neck. Her face pulled away to show that her beautiful face was just a mask. When the mask came off Terry was staring at the face of the Joker. Not the Joker that Bruce Wayne had once fought, but the old and ragged version Terry had once faced.  
"Surprise McGinnis!", The Joker said as he laughed his most maniacal Laugh. "Come on Bat Fake! Let's kiss and make up!"  
Terry woke from his nightmare with a start. He was extremely glad that he had woken up before the dream had gone any further.   
"Man..", he groaned. "I'm not gonna be able to kiss Dana for a week."   
Terry's vision was blurry and his head ached. He couldn't remember where he was or what had happened. Then it all came back to him. He had followed Ra's Al Ghul into the strange vortex. His vision became clear and the pounding in his head slowly subsided. Grabbing onto a nearby ledge, Terry pulled himself up. Looking around he saw he was on a rooftop somewhere and there was no sign of Ra's Al Ghul anywhere.  
"Bruce?" Terry got no response from the radio in his cowl. Giving up trying to contact Bruce, Terry pressed the button on his belt that was supposed to summon the Batmobile. But the Batmobile didn't come. Terry guessed that the vortex must have shorted out his suit. He thought about gliding back to the mansion, but if his suit was broken then he didn't want to be flying over Gotham when his wings or the rockets in his boots gave out. He sighed.  
"Frag it," he said. "I'll walk" Terry changed into his street clothes, which he had kept under his suit. The suit he now wore under his street clothes. He grabbed the knob on the stairwell door and pulled. It was locked. Terry studied the lock and was surprised to find that it was a really old one. He kicked the door hard and it swung open. As he walked down the stairs he noticed that the building too was quite old.  
When Terry stepped onto the street he gasped. He was in the old district of Gotham City. The one Bruce had shown him once. The one where Bruce's parents had been shot. But the area was not as he remembered it. The buildings looked new rather than condemned. There were plenty of people walking the streets. But their clothing style was strange and out of fashion. The cars that rolled by had wheels on them and did not hover off the ground. Terry looked up and for a moment the sun blinded him. Putting his hand up to his forehead blocked the sun from his sight. Looking around he found that he didn't recognize any of the tall buildings that now made up Gotham's skyline. The sky scrappers that he did see looked like primitive out of date designs. They looked like buildings you would have found around 40 or 50 years ago. He slowly walked over to a nearby newsstand and froze. He saw the date on the paper and gasped.  
"No way!" he found himself exclaiming out loud. Then everything clicked into place. The third gem that Ra's Al Ghul needed had been destroyed in an earthquake years ago. The doctors he tortured and abducted specialized in quantum physics. That device powered by the two gems Ra's already possessed had sent him…  
"Back in time", Terry whispered. His eyes were wide open and a look of astonishment was frozen on his face.  
"Hey, youz okay kid?" Terry looked back down to see someone was talking to him. "You don't looks to good." But Terry couldn't talk, he could barely even move. Then he heard some one shout "Look up there!" Terry craned his neck back to the sky and saw what everyone was looking at. Up in the sky was a beam of light caught on a passing cloud. In the center of the light was a shadowy shape. The shape of a bat. The guy who had asked Terry if he was okay started to shake him in an attempt to snap him out of it.  
"Hey kid! I asked if yaz was okay. Is there something I can do to help?" Terry slowly lowered his head and met the man's gaze.  
"There's only one man who can help me now." Terry turned and bolted down the street.  
  
II  
  
Batman was hanging onto the minute hand of the giant clock on Gotham's Clock Tower. His hands were aching and he was loosing his grip as his feet dangled and his cape flapped in the wind.   
"It's time to meet your maker Batman!" called the sniveling voice of Temple Fugate: the Clock King. "The sand in your Hourglass has run out."   
Batman looked down to the street below and then back into the smiling face of the ever arrogant Clock King. He thought if he heard one more clock pun from Fugate he was going to snap.   
"You look all wound down Batman!" Batman jolted his head up and gritted his teeth.  
"That's it!" He swung forward to build up some momentum and then he swung back in an arc and let go of the oversized minute hand. His feet landed square onto the chest of a Surprised Clock King who went flying back into the tower and hit the opposite wall. Batman landed on his feet in a perfect crouch and turned to face Fugate. He slowly walked over to Fugate who had just risen from the floor. The Clock King lunged at Batman swinging his minute hand sword-cane. Batman ducked and when he came back up he threw a punch at Fugate. His fist landed squarely on The Clock King's Jaw and Fugate went down.   
"Well Fugate," The Dark Knight said. "Looks Like I clocked you good."  
Temple just groaned and passed out. Batman reached into his utility belt and pulled out a cable with which to tie the Clock King with. As he finished the knot he looked up at the sky and saw the Bat Signal. Putting The Clock king over his shoulder Batman fired his Batgrappler out of the tower and swung out in the direction of the police station.   
  
Terry opened the door to the mansion slowly and stepped in.   
"Forty some odd years," he muttered. "And he hasn't changed the locks." He stepped further into the hallway and took notice of how different the place looked. The rooms were brightly lit and none of the furniture was covered in white sheets. There wasn't a speck of dust to be seen anywhere. Terry made his way into the study and noticed that that room was exactly the same. There on the wall sat the painting of Bruce's parents and opposite the painting sat the grandfather clock that laid entrance to the Batcave. He pulled on the pendulum and the clock moved to the side exposing the rocky staircase that led into the cave.   
As he walked down the steps Terry looked around the cave. Most of the display items were gone save for the Giant Penny, the dinosaur, and the Grey Ghost costume. The glass cases that displayed the Bat Suits, the Robin suit and the Night Wing suit were gone too. But there was one display case showing what appeared to be Dick Grayson's Robin costume. In place of the Batmobile he was used to, Terry saw an older "wheeled" model instead. There was also some sort of Bat Plane as well. The Batcomputer and other machinery were all still there save for the holographic training simulator. Terry walked over to the chair in front of the Batcomputer and sat down. Sliding his hands over the console Terry exclaimed "Unbelievable."  
"Ah Master Bruce I see you've returned from your latest… "business Meeting" shall we say?" Terry spun around when he heard the voice. The accent sounded British and when he did turn around he saw where the voice came from. The man was bald on top with gray hair going around the sides of his head. He had a thin mustache and wore a Tuxedo.   
"Oh dear," he said when he saw it was not Bruce. "You are not Master Bruce." Terry smiled.   
"Alfred I presume?" Terry could not believe he was looking at Bruce's old Butler.   
"Yes I am Alfred, Bruce Wayne's Butler. And I see you've discovered my little secret. Yes, I'm Batman." Terry gave a short laugh out loud.  
"Wow. Bruce said you were loyal," Terry remarked. "But I had no idea just how loyal." Alfred raised an eyebrow.  
"You…Know Master Bruce?" Inquired the butler.  
"Yes," Terry started. Well not yet. But I will know him." He could see the confused look on Alfred's face and realized this wasn't going to be fun trying to explain the situation. "Oh boy, here goes." He stood up so that he was about eye level with Alfred. "I'm from the future. And in this future I'm Batman. Now I accidentally got sent back here with some psychopathic She-male super Villain and I need Bruce's help to stop the guy and to get back to my own time."   
"I see," replied Alfred. "Why didn't you say that right away? Is there anything I can get for you until Master Bruce returns?" Terry was very surprised.  
"You mean…you believe me?"  
"And why shouldn't I? You see, working for Master Bruce over the years I have seen many a strange thing. A robotic Batman Clone, A mutant Man-Bat creature, A frozen bodiless head walking around on spider like legs, smiling fish, A walking talking shape shifting glob of clay, And a man who can turn himself into a demon at will. Just to name a few. So tell me. Why shouldn't a Batman from the future saunter into the Batcave?"  
Terry was at a loss for words.   
  
His trench coat flapped in the breeze of the cold night air. The signal had been up for nearly fifteen minutes and it was beginning to look like Batman wasn't going to show. Commissioner Jim Gordon was perhaps the only man who could claim to be Batman's friend. Long ago Jim had learned that Batman was the best chance Gotham City had for survival against the evil that lurked in the streets below. So he and Batman had formed a strange but comforting friendship. Whenever anything big went down in Gotham it was Jim's instinct to head up to the roof of police headquarters and flash the Bat signal, despite what everyone else thought. A lot of people didn't like the arrangement that Gordon had with the Dark Night. The mayor, The D.A. and Harvey Bullock all thought of Batman as a psychotic vigilante who should be thrown in Arkham asylum with all of Gotham's other nutcases. But Jim New better. Of course what Jim didn't know was that his good friend Bruce Wayne and this Dark Avenger he shared most of his work time with were one in the same. Or that his daughter Barbara was part of Bruce's crime fighting team as Batgirl. What Jim did know was that without Batman, Gotham would fall into total chaos.   
Jim had just given up and switched off the signal when the caped crusader stepped out of the shadows. To his surprise a somewhat unconscious Temple Fugate lay over Batman's shoulder. Batman dropped the Clock King at his feet and took a few more steps forward.   
"Evening Jim."  
"Batman. Is that Temple Fugate?" The Dark Knight just nodded. "Boys," He sighed, "Escort Mr. Fugate back to his cell at Arkham."   
The two officers who had been standing at his side grabbed the Clock King and started reading him his rights as they dragged him off.   
"What a shame," Jim continued now that he and Batman were alone, "I didn't get you anything." For a split second he thought he saw Batman smile.   
"You paged Jim?"   
"Actually…I wanted to let you know that Fugate escaped. But apparently you already knew…. before we did. How the heck do you do it?"  
"Uh-uh, uh Jim. A magician never reveals his secrets."  
"So you're magician now huh? Well, you got the cape for it." The old police commissioner smiled.   
"How's Barbara?"  
"She's fine. She got a new job working part time for Bruce Wayne. She still manages to aggravate me a little from time to time. You know how kids are. You got a couple of em' left right. At least yours already know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Anyway, Fugate wasn't the only Arkahm Escapee. The Joker's on the loose too."  
"I'll keep an eye out for him. He won't be on the streets for long." After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Jim spoke.  
"So… see you tomorrow?" Batman nodded "Same time as always then?"  
"12:01. Wouldn't miss it for the world Jim." With that, Batman's hand came out from under his cape and fired a grappling hook on to a nearby building. A second later Batman was gone.   
  
It was nearly four A.M. when the Batmobile pulled into the Batcave. When the door slid open Bruce jumped out of the car and pulled off his mask. As he walked over to the Batcomputer he started to change into Bruce Wayne's clothes.   
"Master Bruce…" Bruce put up a hand to silence Alfred.  
"Not now Alfred. It's been a long night and I need some sleep."  
"But Master Bruce I really should…"  
"Alfred. I'm going to sleep." Bruce was startled as the chair in front of the Batcomputer spun around to reveal a teenaged boy.   
"Who sleeps anymore?", said the stranger.   
"Master Bruce as I was trying to tell you before. Allow me to introduce master Terrence McGinnis." Bruce was at a loss for words as Alfred continued. "He's Batman. From the future of course." Though his mind was now filled with a few hundred different thoughts at once, the boy billionaire only managed to get out a simple:  
"Of course."  
  
Bruce was stunned. Terry was gone. It had been twenty minutes since Terry followed Ra's Al Ghul into that strange vortex and disappeared. Ace let out a short whimper as Bruce got up and crossed the cave to the Grey Ghost display. Before the visual cut out, Bruce remembered seeing Doctor Ghight handcuffed in the corner.   
"Looks like its time to pay Doctor Ghight and Evers a visit." Bruce opened the display case and took out the Grey Ghost's mask.   
"Don't wait up for me," He said to Ace as he donned the Grey Ghost's mask. "I'll be a while." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
I  
  
"I'm finding all this a little hard to believe Mr. McGinnis."  
"Wow."   
"What?"  
"You just called me Mr. McGinnis." Bruce and Alfred just stared at him with out any expression on their faces. "I'm just…not used to…hearing you call me…Mr." Still no expressions came across their faces. "Any way… You're finding this hard to believe, and I get that. But working for Mr. Wayne… you…whoever, I've learned to believe the unbelievable. I mean if like twenty years ago someone told you that a guy dressed up like a bat would be running around the rooftops of Gotham, would you have believed it?"  
"I know I wouldn't", chimed in Alfred. "Sometimes I still don't". Bruce shot Alfred a look after that statement.   
"Look, Mr. Wayne," Terry continued. "If I were you I know that I'd want some proof too, but the longer it takes for you to believe me, the closer Ra's Al Ghul gets to what he wants."  
"That may be, but I'm still going to need some sort of proof. For all I know you could work for Ra's Al Ghul."  
"You want proof?" Terry walked over to the Batcomputer's console, and took his Batsuit from under his Jacket. "I hope this helps." He said as he handed it to Bruce.  
Bruce looked the suit over once and after he handed it back to Terry he leaned back in his chair and put his hand on his chin like he was deep in thought.  
"Master Bruce?", Alfred inquired.   
"He's telling the truth Alfred. I believe him."   
"You do?!" Exclaimed Terry. "I'm glad and all but, how can you tell I'm telling the truth just from the suit?"  
"You see, a few weeks ago Batman asked Karl Rossum to come up with a few ideas for a new high-tech Batsuit. After I left police headquarters, I went to see if Rossum had made any headway." Bruce took out a disk from his pocket and slipped it into the Batcomputer. "He gave me this." Bruce punched a few buttons on the console and a detailed schematic for Terry's Batsuit came up. "He also said that several of the designs wont be able to be completed until there have been significant advances in certain technologies. So there's no way you could have that suit unless you weren't from the future."   
"Oh." Said Terry. "Well now that we're done with the fun part, lets get down to the slightly less fun part. Finding and stopping Ra's Al Ghul."  
  
II  
  
It was pretty quiet in the old factory. Save for the four guys seated around the poker table. The game had been going on for a few hours now and Jack was almost out of money. He hadn't had a decent hand all night. Until now.   
"Sorry guys, but this hand goes to me." He began to collect the chips when Jim threw in his hand and Jack's eyes went wide.  
"Sorry Jack.." Jim let out a big smile. "Royal Flush." With that, Jack's look of shock turned to a look of anger.  
"You cheatin weasel!" Jack jumped up and pulled out his gun. Jim did the same.  
"What did you call me freak?"  
"You heard me!"  
"How about I blow your freakin face off?!"  
"Not before I-" Before he could finish, a bullet zinged past his face.  
"Gentlemen," Came the voice of the gang's leader, Vinnie The Snake, who was now standing several feet away from the table. "Behave. Don't make me shoot you, its too much trouble to hire new people so don't make me shoot you." With his gun still pointed at them, Jack and Jim took their seats. "Now deal me in."   
Just as he picked up his first card, there came a knock at the door.   
"Who the hell would be knocking on my door? Johnny, go see who it is and shoot him."  
"Right boss." As Johnny walked over to the door, the knocking got more frequent until it became incessant. Just as he got to the door, it flew open knocking him unconscious. Vinnie and the three remaining thugs got up and drew their guns as a man in a purple suit and hat came in.   
"Sorry," He said as he took off his hat and threw it aside. "Couldn't wait any more." Vinnie immediately recognized him as "The Joker". "Patience has never been my best virtue. Wait a minute. I don't have any virtues!" and with that he let out a long laugh.   
He walked into the room and Harley Quinn closed the door behind them. Joker started walking through the room looking around.  
"Hmm….," He muttered as he continued to look the place over. "Not bad, not bad. Some curtains, a few throw pillows maybe a new rug and-" Before he could finish, he was cut off by Vinnie the Snake.  
"What the heck do you think your doin?!"  
"I'm movin in. I need a new hideout and this one will have to do."  
"This hide out belongs to us! You can't do that!"  
"I can't?"   
"No, You can't"  
"Well why didn't anybody tell me that before I broke out of Arkahm?! Now I came all this way for nothing! Come on Harley, let's go." And with that Joker turned to leave.  
"We're not really goin are we Mr. J?"  
"You heard the man Poo, this is their hideout."  
"Well we could just kill em Puddin." Joker stopped short and snapped his fingers as he turned around.  
"Good idea Harley! Now why didn't I think of that?"  
"That's what I'm here for Mr.J!"  
"Nobody's killin anybody." Interrupted The Snake. "Well, except for us killin you."  
Jack pointed his gun at Joker and Harley pulled out a pair of false teeth and threw it. They hit Jack's hand and took a big bite as he screamed in pain and dropped his gun. Harley cart wheeled over to him and kicked him in the face. Jack fell backwards over a pile of boxes and hit his head on the floor. He was out cold. Jim aimed his gun at Harley but the Joker was already at his side. With one squirt of acid from the flower on Joker's suit, Jims Gun was dissolved to nothing. Joker then pulled out a boxing gun glove and fired at Jim. The glove punched him hard in the face and he fell backward into unconsciousness.   
"Ding, ding, ding, this one's down for the count!" remarked the Joker. "Too bad. I liked the cut of his jab!" The Joker let out a loud laugh as Chuck, the fourth and final thug swung a bat at Harley.   
She immediately ducked and came back up pointing a cork gun at him. Chuck stumbled back a few feet as Harley pulled the trigger. The cork fired out at top speed right at Chuck's face. It stopped inches short of his face as the string that attached it to the gun became taut. He let out a sigh of relief and Harley smiled. She pulled the trigger again and a cloud of Joker Gas shot out of the gun and into Chuck's face. He fell to the ground and burst out into wild laughter. Putting his hand on the poker table to try and pull himself up, he tipped the table over. It landed on his head and knocked him out. Now it was just Vinnie that was left. He leveled his gun at Joker but Harley was already there and she simply just took it from him.  
"Uh-uh, uh." She said. Vinnie the Snake was shaking and obviously frightened. The Joker Sauntered over to him with a huge grin on his face.  
"Hmm…. Vinnie, Vinnie, what to do with you?"  
"Oh please don't kill me, you can have the place!"  
"Sorry, Vinnie. If you thought what we did to your boys was bad, wait till you see what I'm gonna do to you!"  
"Oh please no!"  
"Let em have it Mr. J!" shouted Harley enthusiastically. Joker's grin widened as Vinnie the Snake began to whimper. Joker drew his hand back and Vinnie's eyes went wide with fright. Joker threw his hand right into Vinnie's face and hit him with a pie. The Joker let out a huge laugh as the pie plate slid off Vinnie's face. Harley put her finger to his face to collect some pie and tasted it.  
"Mmmmmm…." She said "Custard."   
"Well it's been fun," Said the joker as he put his hand on Vinnie's back and led him to the door. "But Harl and I have a lot to do. So I'll be seeing you Vinnie."  
"You mean that's it? Your just gonna let me leave?" Joker nodded.  
"Uh-huh."  
"Gee, Thanks. I guess."  
"Don't mention it Vinnie. Now out you go!" With that Joker opened the door and sitting only a few feet from the door were the Joker's two Hyena's growling wildly.   
"Did I mention Custard's their favorite?" With that statement the Joker laughed wildly, kicked Vinnie out the door and slammed it shut. A few seconds later Vinnie the Snake let out a loud painful scream. And then he never screamed again.   
"Alright Harl," Joker said as he turned back to her. "Now that the fun's done…Lets get down to business."   
  
III  
  
Ra's Al Ghul was sitting at a computer in the Gotham Public Library. He had been searching for news articles relating to the third gem, the gem of Cantara. He knew that the gem had been destroyed in an earthquake so he had come back a few years before that. He had spent years collecting data on the gem. But the one piece of information he couldn't gather about the gem was who had it when it was destroyed.   
"The answer must be here somewhere," he said aloud. He was growing impatient.   
"The Library will be closing in twenty minutes" came the voice over the P.A. System. The voice made Ra's look up from his screen. Then he saw something that made his eyes go wide. Sitting next to him was a young man, about nineteen years of age, reading a newspaper. He grabbed the paper from him and the kid began to protest.  
"Get away from me you annoying little pest!" That voice coming from that body was all the kid needed to get up and walk away without an argument. After reading the headline he put down the paper. The headline read "Gem of Cantara purchased for six hundred and ninety five thousand dollars by Wayne at auction."  
"I don't believe it. Of all the places it could be, of all the people in the world. What are the odds?" Ra's could not believe the amount of bad luck he'd been having since he started all of this three weeks ago. First he had learned that the third gem was destroyed and that stopped him for a while. But then he just figured he needed to find the right scientists and he'd be okay. And now, the only thing he needed to become a God was in possession of the one man who could possibly stop him. Why did it have to be in his possession? He thought.  
"Why?!" And then it hit him and he new what to do. If the one thing he needed to become a God was in the hands of the only man who can possibly stop him, then all he had to do is team up with the only person in the world who would make them an unbeatable team against Batman.   
  
  
  
"What do you mean were broke?!"   
"I mean we ain't got no money Mr. J." Joker was pacing angrily back and forth across his newly acquired hide out.   
"Alright then. We just need to pull a job so big, it'll put us back on top in one shot."  
"Um, Mr. J?" Harley called to him as she picked up the newspaper.   
"Now let's see. What can we steal?"  
"Mr. J!"   
Joker continued to pace back and forth almost completely oblivious to Harley.  
"It's gotta be some thing big."  
"Mr. J!!!"  
"It's gotta be worth a lot of money."  
"MR. J!!!!!"  
"Pipe down will ya Harl! I'm tryin to think here!" With that she jumped in his face and started shaking the paper franticly. "What is it Harley?" She held up two fingers. "Two words." She held up one finger. "First word." She pointed to the news in "Gotham Daily News". "News." She held up two fingers again. "Second word." She tore off a piece of the paper and held it up for him. "Paper. Newspaper?" With that she tapped her nose and jumped up and down with excitement.   
"You want us to steal a newspaper?! How in the heck is that supposed to put us back on top?! Harley's face contorted to an angry one and she threw the paper at him.  
"Hey!" He shouted as he caught it and looked at the headline. It read "Gem of Cantara purchased for six hundred and ninety five thousand dollars by Wayne at auction." Joker snapped his fingers. "That's it! See Harley, now why can't you come up with an idea like that?" With that, Harley smacked her hand against her forehead.   
"This is gonna be fun," said the Joker with a huge smile on his face. "This is gonna be really fun!" 


End file.
